Here’s reaction from City Council President Nick Licata, who chairs the public safety committee, to Mayor Nickels’ contention the police department watchdog he appoints is more credible than the oversight panel appointed by the council, which Nickels says is driven by a “political agenda”:

“The mayor is doing a great disserve to the volunteers on (the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board.) They are outstanding citizens who are devoting countless hours of their time to try to make the police force more accountable. To cast aspersions on their motives is unfair and unjust.”

“One could argue that the mayor has a political agenda of ignoring significant problems and I would hope that he would change it to my political agenda which is to have a fair and effective police force.”

Peter Holmes, of the OPA Review Board, noted Nickels has refused to even meet with his board for five years.:

“It’s pretty clear that it’s tough to get the truth out in this system. You are attacked personally as the messenger. … We spend a whole lot more time talking about those silly questions than getting at the meat of the (OPARB) report.”